


Strawberry Chapstick

by HarryPotterIsBi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, Suicide Attempt, The Author Regrets Everything, Touch-Starved Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarryPotterIsBi/pseuds/HarryPotterIsBi
Summary: During the beginning and end of their relationship, Harry tasted red.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley - Relationship
Kudos: 17





	Strawberry Chapstick

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know what I'm doing with my life anymore.

Ginny Weasley had always tasted of strawberry chapstick. Harry had first noticed during their kiss in the Gryffindor common room. Of course, he hadn’t had a lot of time to think of it, as he was otherwise - _preoccupied_ \- but it was one of the first things he had noticed about her in their relationship.

And again, when they were alone in a deserted broom cupboard, as they lost themselves in lustful teenage passions. 

When they had finally stopped dancing around each other after the war, and asked one another to Hogsmeade. Ginny had smiled beautifully - _so beautifully_ \- as she pulled Harry down for a scorching kiss. 

Neither Ron nor Hermione could understand the level of intimacy in their relationship, both absorbed in their bickering and poorly-disguised flirting. But contact, Harry found, could be a wonderful thing.

During silent nights of pondering and speculation, Ginny would sneak into his bed and hold him as he cried for all that he had lost. 

Or sometimes, she would drag him forward by the collar of his pyjama shirt until the only thing he could comprehend were his gasping breaths in between kisses. Then a hand would slowly trail beneath his waistband and - _oh_. 

It was beautiful. It was wonderful. It made him ache inside. 

Until eighth year came to an end, and Harry had to leave for Auror training.

* * *

_“You’ll write, won’t you?” Harry grinned, playfully knocking Ginny’s shoulder with his own._

_“You really have to ask?” Ginny drawled, raising an eyebrow. “Now shut up and kiss me, Potter. The train’ll leave any second now.”_

Who had known that would be the last time Harry tasted strawberries.

* * *

Harry didn’t taste strawberry chapstick the next morning, when he got up early for his first day of training. He had ignored his ringing phone, since he was running short on time, but when he got to the training room, everyone was looking down at the floor.

“Who died?” Harry joked, but the only thing that met him was sombre expressions.

“You….didn’t hear?” one of them asked, the rest deliberately avoiding his gaze. 

“Hear what?” Harry asked, now genuinely confused. The team winced again, seemingly unsure of what to say.

But someone finally spoke. Harry didn’t recognise the voice, but it wouldn’t matter in the long run.

“Ginny Weasley’s _dead_.”

* * *

Weeks later, when Harry shoves a bottle full of pills down his throat, he almost thinks he can mimic flavor again. He tastes many things, the powdery chalk of the pills, and the bitter aftertaste of vomit as his body tried to reject the drugs in his system.

But last of all….

He tasted blood, which he thought was ironic in the most morbid way. Yes, indeed it was _red._ It was funny, how the last thing he tasted was red, but it wasn’t strawberries. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos would be much appreciated!


End file.
